god’s names – Virtual Mosque

To Whom Belongs Sovereignty? Al-Qahhar

Jinan Yousef — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:00:34 +0000

In this journey through Allah’s Names, we have learned about both His attributes of Beauty and of Majesty. The intention is to inspire fear, hope and, ultimately, love. If we misunderstand Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), we may not see the wisdom behind the things that happen in the world or in our personal lives. We might not understand how Allah (swt) fits into our life. We may also find it difficult to love Him, because how can you love someone – deeply love someone – you do not know?

Thus it is hoped that these Names have increased our knowledge of our Creator, and have made apparent how Allah (swt) is with us in every moment.

Today’s Name should inspire in us ‘khashya’ and ‘hayba’. These words are sometimes both translated as ‘fear’, thus removing the important distinctions between the two words. In the ‘Sweetness of Prayer’ series, we explained the difference between the different types of fear:

‘Khawf’ is to flee from the thing that you fear, and requires no knowledge of that which is feared. You can be afraid, or have ‘khawf’, of the dark. ‘Khashya’, on the other hand, is fear with knowledge. The more a servant has knowledge of his Lord, the more ‘khawf’ turns to ‘khashya’. As Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:

“Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge” (35:28).

‘Hayba’ is fear associated with respect, awe and glorification. You could, for example, fear fire. But the reason for your fear is that the fire may harm you, so fire earns no ‘hayba’; you do not glorify it. However, you could have a certain ‘hayba’ of your father; you could be afraid to do something wrong in front of him, but that fear is out of respect.

Al-Qahhar: The Dominator

Allah’s Name al-Qahhar comes from the Arabic root qaf-haa-ra (ق-ه-ر). It means ‘to dominate over’ or ‘to subdue from above’. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an in Surat al-An`aam;

“And He is the subjugator (al-qaahiru) over His servants. And He is the Wise (al-Hakeem), the Acquainted [with all] (al-Khabeer). (6:18)

Someone with this attribute might be considered a tyrant, which is why Allah (swt) tells us that this attribute is possessed by the One who is also the Most Wise and the One who is Best Acquainted with everything. This reference is also for the benefit of those who doubt this attribute, and might ask “why has Allah not overpowered the tyrants of today, of whom there are many?” Allah (swt) is reminding us that there is ultimate wisdom in whom He chooses to subdue at any point in time. This is where our understanding of the holistic nature of Allah’s Names should come in: we spoke before about how Allah (swt) is Forbearing and Patient, and He gives people – even tyrants – the opportunity to turn back.

Thus we see in the Qur’an that Allah sends Moses and Aaron `alayhimaa as-salaam (may Allah’s peace be upon them both) to Pharaoh – and calling Pharaoh ‘oppressive’ would be an understatement! – telling them initially to speak to him gently. Pharaoh rejects them. Moses then shows him proof of his prophethood. Pharaoh rejects him again, insisting on enslaving the Children of Israel. Finally, Allah (swt) overpowers him by drowning him, using someone from the very people that Pharaoh was oppressing, who grew up in his own house. Such is the way of al-Qahhar, who manifests His power by subduing tyrants through the objects of their tyranny.

This is why Imam al-Ghazali describes al-Qahhar in this way: “The Dominator is the one who breaks the back of the powerful among His enemies… Indeed there is no existing thing that is not subject to the domination of His power, and powerlessness in His grasp. That is all.”
Therefore, when we look at events today and wonder “where is al-Qahhar?”, we should remember the story of Moses. Remember that Moses prevailed. Remember that Pharaoh was overpowered.

Our role is to strive against this oppression, knowing that ultimately this is what we will be asked about, and everything is subjected to the Will of Allah (swt). Indeed, so many tyrannical powers eventually come crashing down, bowing to the will of al-Qahhar. Unfortunately, we may not attribute it to Him, but as Allah (swt) tells us:

“The Day they come forth nothing concerning them will be concealed from Allah. To whom belongs [all] sovereignty this Day? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing (al-Qahhar).” (40:16)

On that Day, all will be apparent. All those who oppressed, in both seemingly small and big ways, will be before Allah, al-Qahhar. Then, there will be no ambiguity.
Living with these Names

1 – Balance fear and hope

Today’s Name might cause us to be afraid. This is not a subject we like to talk to about, because it is so much more reassuring to focus on those attributes that enable us to relax. But remembering that Allah (swt) has attributes of Majesty should instill in us the ‘khashya’ and ‘hayba’ described earlier. Moreover, Allah’s Names are to be looked at holistically. He is al-Qahhar and He is also al-Lateef (the subtle, the most kind).

2 – Dominate your lower desires
In previous articles, we talked about how we should emulate the attributes of Beauty. But what about attributes of Majesty? How do we apply them? Al-Ghazali counseled: “The dominator amongst men is the one who subdues his enemies. The greatest enemy of man is his soul, which is within him. This soul is more of an enemy to him than Satan, of whose enmity he is wary. Whoever conquers his passions conquers Satan, since Satan lures him to ruin by means of his passions.”

3 – Use that fear to stop at least one sin

To know that Allah is al-Qahhar is to burn the desire for sin in the heart. Because Allah (swt) is the Dominator, we should fear that perhaps al-Qahhar, al-Mumeet (the Life-Taker) might take our soul as we are committing the sin. This should alert us that despite it seeming as though we are being allowed to oppress our souls, we may still face the fate mentioned in this verse:

“So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.” (Qur’an, 6:44)

These people used the gifts of Allah (swt) in the opposite manner to that for which they were intended, and then they were seized. In another chapter, Allah (swt) describes to us the people of the garden, who took an oath that they would reap all of their fruits and leave nothing for the poor. Allah (swt) caused their garden to be completely burned to the ground, but the owners of that garden understood the lesson. They willed something, but Allah (swt) overpowered their will, and so they turned back to Him.

Hence, this fear should not paralyze us from doing good, but it should paralyze us from doing bad. We should try to choose at least one thing – like backbiting or lying – and do our best to use this Name to help us stop it.

4 – Do not oppress others

The surest way to earn the wrath of al-Qahhar is to oppress others. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an: “So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him] (fa laa taqhar)” (93:9). The word ‘taqhar’ comes from the same root of the name al-Qahhar. We should understand that oppression is not simply for unjust leaders or cruel human traffickers. We may also be oppressing others in more subtle ways, and thus we should be diligent to avoid this.

Al-Jaami`- the Uniter

Jinan Yousef — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:00:27 +0000

Allah’s subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) attributes are awe-inspiring. What we have described in the previous articles are simply glimpses of His Names and their manifestations in our lives. After understanding some ways that Allah’s Names manifest, we gain greater clarity into our own lives and we realize that Allah is always with us—He is always giving us peace and tranquility (as-Salaam), mending our broken hearts (al-Jabbar), responding to our du`a’s (al-Mujeeb), giving us subtle and gentle signs (al-Lateef), opening up doors we never knew existed (al-Fattah) and in many other ways.

Bringing Things Together

If we open our senses, we cannot help but be amazed at the way that Allah (swt) has brought things together: the way our bodies contain blood, water, and other substances and how perfectly they work together; the way that Allah has also brought opposites together, such as hot and cold in one being (we can be feeling cold on the outside but our insides are warm); and how things that are similar yet dissimilar are brought together on this earth, such as different kinds of trees, animals and landscapes. Allah illustrates this when He says:

“And indeed, for you in grazing livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies – between excretion and blood – pure milk, palatable to drinkers.” [Qur’an, 16:66]

This is one of the ways that Allah al-Jaami` manifests His Name to us.

Linguistically, jam` (the root of al-Jaami`) means to bring something together, as opposed to dividing or taking something apart: yajma`uh (he brings it together), jam`an (a congregation), jamma`ah (he collected them together) and so on. So Friday, for example, is youm al-jumu`ah: the day that brings people together or the day that people come together on. When we talk about scholarly consensus in Islam, the word for that is i’jmaa`.

So in what ways can we see that Allah is al-Jaami`? Al-Ghazali stated that one of the meanings of al-Jaami` is the One “who combines similar things, dissimilar things, and opposites.” In addition to this, Allah brings together people on the Day of Judgment, and He also brings together the hearts.

The Day of Judgment

Allah (swt) mentions His attribute of jam` (bringing together) many times in the Qur’an, most frequently with the Day of Judgment. When we think of bringing things together, what we have mentioned previously can be seen or felt or experienced. We can see the different trees, flowers and plants in this world—so this affirms Allah’s attribute in a tangible sense. Yet what we do not see is how Allah can bring everyone, from the beginning of time until the end of time, together in one place at one time. This is one of the reasons why this Name is so great, and this is why His ‘bringing together’ is divine and different to any way that we bring things together. A human being can claim to bring together different things (although these things have been provided by Allah), yet no one can claim to bring together everyone in the manner that we will be brought together on the Day of Judgment. Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur’an:

“This is the Day of Judgment; We will have assembled you (jama`naakum) and the former peoples.” [Qur’an, 77:38]

He also says:

“Allah – there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble [layajma`annakum] you for [account on] the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allah in statement.” [Qur’an, 4:87]

This should inspire in us some serious reflection. We are going to be brought together after we are dead, after our bones have disintegrated and after the world has forgotten us. So who do we want to be brought together with? The Pharoahs of the past, present and future, or the righteous and beloved to Allah (swt)?

Bringing the Hearts Together

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together [jamee`an] and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” [Qur’an, 3:103]

In the verse above, Allah (swt) tells the Muslims to support one another, and hence Allah tells the Muslims to hold firmly to the rope of Allah “all together” [jamee`an]. This way the hearts are strengthened. Sometimes trying to improve ourselves is a lonely and difficult process. Just like a predator can more easily attack the lone sheep, Satan can make things seem a lot more difficult than they are if we are simply trying to rely on ourselves. But when Muslims support each other and hold onto the rope of Allah together, the hearts are more easily able to be firm. Even if we have our differences, we can still hold each other up.

Another way Allah (swt) brings together on a spiritual, internal level is by bringing the hearts together. A different word is used: allafa. Allafa connotes a gentleness and love. When the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) migrated to Madina, the two main tribes at the time, al-Aws and al-Khazraj, were enemies. Their history was one of blood and vendettas, and Allah brought their hearts together. Those two tribes, from absolutely hating each other, became brothers. Allah (swt) tells us in another verse:

“And brought together their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together; but Allah brought them together. Indeed, He is Exalted in Might and Wise.” [Qur’an, 8:63]

And Allah reminds the Prophet ﷺ and us that, were we to spend everything on earth, we would not have been able to bring their hearts together. Yet Allah united them upon guidance. There were, at times, instances full of tensions, but those instances teach us patience and perseverance – and the end result is unity.

When we feel that our hearts are divided sometimes, we should know that Allah is al-Jaami`. Just like He brought the hearts of the companions together, Allah can bring our hearts together too if we truly work at being sincere. So, for example, if we feel that there is tension between us and a family member, we should ask Allah to soften our hearts and unite us At the very least, we should consciously work to minimize any external divisions.

Coming Alive with Allah’s Name

Reflect on how Allah brings everything together in this world, and reflect how He will bring us all together in the next.

On the one hand, reflecting on how Allah (swt) brings things together should inspire in us a sense of awe. Reflecting is a process of taking it in slowly, opening our senses and really contemplating the world around us.

On the other hand, the biggest ‘bringing together’ is on the Day of Judgment. It is real, and we need to be prepared. When Allah will bring all the human beings in one place, where do we want to be? We are told in the Qur’an:

“Our Lord, surely You will gather (innaka jaami`) the people for a Day about which there is no doubt. Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise.” [Qur’an, 3:9]

Allah (swt) tells us that on this day, there are 7 categories of people who are given shade under His shade when there is no shade but His shade:

“… a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques; two people who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but be says: ‘I fear Allah’, a person who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a person who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.” [Bukhari]

This is a reminder—have certainty that you will be brought together with everyone else, and therefore think of which group you want to be a part of. Who do we want to be brought together with? Those whom Allah shades or those outside of His shade?

Be a person that brings together what is in his heart and what is on his limbs.

Following on from whom we want to be resurrected with, one way of being resurrected and brought together with the righteous is by uniting our hearts and limbs. Al-Ghazali states, “among men the one who unites is one who integrates the external behavior of his limbs with the inner realities of his heart”. Be a person who prays at night and also has mercy with people. Be a person who polishes his heart from the diseases and is also active with the community. Be a person who avoids suspicion and negative assumptions in his heart and also speaks well and brings benefit with his words.

Be a person that brings people together.

The Prophet ﷺ tells us “Allah’s Hand is with the jama`a (congregation)” [Tirmidhi], meaning that Allah’s care and protection is with people who stick together or are united. Sometimes it can be tempting to constantly want to be alone and away from others, yet Allah’s blessing comes with the bringing together of people. There is more reward in praying in congregation. Mending between two people who are in conflict is better than praying voluntary prayers and giving extra charity. Allah loves the congregation, and as we have seen, He hates division and discord. To clarify, unity does not mean that there are no differences. For the most part, the companions radi Allahu `anhum (may Allah be pleased with them) were united in their hearts even though they sometimes differed in strategy, opinion and manner. So the lessons for us are two-fold: first, bring people together. Whether it is for prayers, support, or even a family gathering, be a person that brings people together for good. Secondly, do not be a person of petty arguments and discord. You may disagree with someone, but there is no need to get nasty. You can still maintain love and respect, even if a person tests your patience. As Allah says:

“And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” [Qur’an 8:46]

Finally, don’t lose hope. When we say that Allah is al-Jaami`, it implies that things were divided or scattered, and so Allah is bringing together what was separate and divided to begin with, and uniting it. When you lose something, remember that it is Allah who can bring it back and unite you with it. As Allah says,

“And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them.” [Qur’an, 7:180]

Allah’s Beautiful Name: As-Sitteer

Jinan Yousef — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 08:00:21 +0000

In order to develop a close relationship with someone, one has to know him or her very well. Many of us feel distant from Allah (swt) at times, and fail to see, in every situation, the manifestations of His Names and Attributes. Sheikh Muhammad Ratib an-Nabulsi, a Syrian scholar, has done extensive research on Allah’s Names, from their linguistic meaning to examples of how these Names are relevant to us and our everyday lives.

I have translated excerpts from his research on Allah’s Name As-Siteer. This name appears in the hadith (narration) of the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him): “Verily, Allah the All-Mighty and Majestic is Forbearing, Modest and Concealing (Sitteer); and He loves modesty and concealment. Therefore, when any of you bathe, let him conceal himself (i.e. from the sight of people).”¹

Linguistically, As-Sitteer (derived from the root word sitr) is one who conceals something. However, being a hyperbolic form of its root, it means the one who veils a million scandals, as well as the greatest scandals. When a name is in hyperbolic form, it aggrandizes the word qualitatively and quantitatively. A similar example would be Allah’s Name Al-Ghaffar, which indicates that He forgives the greatest of sins and an infinite number of sins.

As-Sitteer has another meaning: the one who prevents and keeps something away. `Aisha radiallahu ‘anha (may Allah be pleased with her) says in an authentic hadith:

‘A lady approached me along with her two daughters asking (for charity), but she found nothing with me except a date. I gave it to her and she divided it between her two daughters, not eating anything herself. Then, she stood up and left. When the Prophet ﷺ came in, I informed him of what happened. He said, “Whoever is entrusted with these daughters and treats them with benevolence, they will act as a shield (sitr) for him from Hell-Fire.’ [Agreed upon]

Thus, whoever raises two daughters (and in some narrations it is sufficient to raise one daughter), and takes care of her, teaches her the mannerisms of Islam, ensures that she wears hijab, and chooses for her a believing husband, it is enough for him to enter Paradise.

Therefore, sitr also means to keep something away, and raising a righteous daughter keeps one away from Hellfire.

A Story on Sitr

I am not in the habit of telling stories based on dreams, but this story, in particular, is striking. About five years ago, one of the khutaba’ (sing. khateeb; one who delivers sermons) of Damascus saw the Prophet ﷺ in a dream. He was very affected by this vision, as Abu Hurayra (ra) said “I heard the Prophet ﷺ say, “Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when he is awake because Shaytan cannot take my form.”²

In his dream, the Prophet ﷺ told him, “Tell your neighbor so-and-so near the mosque that he will be my companion in Paradise.” The khateeb was deeply pained, [thinking]: ‘Was this glad tiding for me or him?’ So he went to his neighbor, who was a humble vendor from among the laymen, and knocked on his door. He entered his house, greeted him, and said, “I have glad tidings for you from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, but I won’t tell you until you tell me what you’ve done for your Lord.” The man refused, and the khateeb persisted, saying, “By Allah, I will not relay the message unless you tell me what you’ve done for your Lord.” The man finally relented and told his story:

“I had proposed to a lady and then married her. In [what was supposedly] her fifth month of pregnancy, she was nine months pregnant. This clearly meant it was not my child. I could have exposed her, divorced her, destroyed her, but I wanted her to repent to Allah (swt) through me. I brought home a midwife, and she gave birth in the darkness of the night. I took the child that was not mine, hid him under my cloak, and entered a mosque in Sanjaq Dar…”

He entered after the imam began praying fajr, put the newborn behind the door, and joined the prayer. No one noticed him. When the prayer was finished, people surrounded the child, all in shock. He came over, as if he didn’t know of the situation, and asked, “What is going on?!” They replied, “Come look.” He said, “I will look after this child. Give him to me.” So he took the child in front of everyone as if he was an abandoned child. He took on his rearing, and returned him to his mother, and indeed she repented to Allah [for her sin].

Allah, the Exalted, says:

إِنَّاللَّهَيَأْمُرُبِالْعَدْلِوَالإِحْسَانِ

“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct […]” (Qur’an, 16:90)

Justice [in this case] could have been to divorce her, but Allah (swt) has ordered us to treat others with benevolence. When this man did so, he saved her from humiliation and from going astray. Not every situation is resolved through justice, and more often than not, benevolence is a better alternative.

Allah, the Exalted, is Sitteer, and He loves those who conceal the faults of others. This is why the Prophet ﷺ described the believing woman as sitteera, and a woman who sits and complains about her husband to others as scandalous. Allah (swt) does not look at a woman who constantly complains about her husband, but Allah loves a woman who is sitteera. A woman who is sitteera is a believing woman. ³

Allah (swt) says:

وَلِلَّهِالأَسْمَاءُالْحُسْنَىٰفَادْعُوهُبِهَا

“And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them […]” (Qur’an, 7:180]

No doubt, we must pause at the words “so invoke Him by them,” because one of its meanings is to grow closer to Allah (swt) by embodying His Divine attributes. Thus, you can grow closer to the Most Merciful by becoming merciful yourself, and you can grow closer to the Just by becoming fair, and you can grow closer to As-Sitteer by concealing the faults of others.

Reported by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i, al-Baihaqi, Ahmed, and graded as authentic. ↩
Reported by Ahmad, Bukhari, and Tirmidhi ↩
Complaining here does not mean seeking legitimate help from others if the situation calls for it, but is meant in the context of backbiting and revealing secrets and bad habits of one’s spouse. ↩